If you need a break from sprawling RPG games or gritty FPS games, then you find a new adventure in our selection of the best open-world games around. While these games might feature huge maps and long narratives, you’ll soon be swept up in exploring sandy beaches, fantasy worlds, or even 1950s Los Angeles. Anything can happen in this roster of open-world games.
To help you track down the best of the best, we’ve rounded up our essential picks for the greatest open-world games you can play right now on Nintendo Switch and mobile. If you’ve had your fill of open-world games once you’ve read this list, you can also check out some other recommendations we’ve got for you.
Whether it’s the best mobile multiplayer games for those looking to spend some time with others or the best games like Civilization, there’s a little something for everyone here.
Here are the best open-world games:
- Genshin Impact
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- The Witcher 3
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen
- Assassin’s Creed Black Flag
- Xenoblade Chronicles
- Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
- A Short Hike
- L.A. Noire
- Sky: Children of the Light
- Oceanhorn
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Minecraft
- GTA Definitive Edition
- No Man's Sky
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Red Dead Redemption
- Batman Arkham City
Genshin Impact – mobile
When Genshin Impact first arrived, many thought it was a bit of a Breath of the Wild clone that wouldn’t stick around for all too long. How wrong they were, with this game still going strong in its fourth year, with new updates and characters arriving in-game every couple of months. Better still, it’s free to play.
Giving you numerous characters to have in your party, an open world full of secrets, and lots of seasonal events, Genshin Impact is one of the best open-world games, and what makes it better is that it’s a game you can play forever. And it’s coming to Switch soon if you’re not up for playing it on your phone. (We’ve got a Genshin Impact Switch release date guide to keep you up to date, too).
Play Genshin Impact for free.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Switch
If you thought Hyrule was big in Breath of the Wild, oh boy, Tears of the Kingdom has something to show you. The scale of this game is unlike anything else we’ve ever seen before, with no ‘open areas’ or ‘open zones’, just a proper open world in the truest sense